Rare Earths Extracted around Southeastern Island

Japan Agency for Maritime Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) announced that it had succeeded in extracting mud which possibly included rare earths from the seabed around Minamitorishima Island. The agency is going to examine the mud. The government of Japan hopes to pave the way to supply rare earths that are indispensable for advanced technologies without depending on import from foreign countries including China. 

The government started a project called Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) in 2014, topped by the prime minister. It gives prime minister advices on comprehensive policy-making on science and technology. The project deals with various scientific projects, including power generation through combustion of ammonia to reduce emission of greenhouse gasses or autonomous driving of cars.

 

Research on rare earths around Minamitorishima started as a part of SIP to develop technology for maritime research. A research group of University of Tokyo had discovered a great amount of mud with rare earths in the seabed around the island in 2013. The mud contained manganese nodule, chunks with nickel, copper or cobalt, which is definitely necessary for production of smart phones or electric cars.

 

Japan is the sixth largest country in the world, when its land and exclusively economic zone (EEZ) in the sea are counted. The Japanese government has been encouraging development of the seabed to procure resources for industries. Then it aimed at the resource around Minamitorishima Island, which is located far southeast of mainland of Japan and known as the most eastern point in territory of Japan.

 

A deep-sea scientific drilling vessel of JAMSTEC, named Chikyu, arrived at the sea area 150 kilometers southeast of Minamitorishima Island in mid-January and first mud was extracted from the depth of 6,000 meters on February 1st. It was the first attempt in the world to extract rare earths from seabed. Chikyu get back to its homeport of Shimizu, Shizuoka, with the mud to be examined on February 14th.

 

China occupies 70 percent of producing rare earths in the world. China embargoed its rare earths to Japan after an incident in which a Chinese fishing boat collided with a vessel of Japan Coast Guard around Senkaku Islands, over which China claims its ownership, in September 2010. China stopped supply of rare earths, without apparent notification, as a countermeasure against Japan’s arrest of the fishermen.

 

Self-sufficiency of rare earths has since been a major strategic subject for Japan. China indicated embargo of rare earths after Japan’s Prime Miniter Sanae Takaichi referred to a possibility of use of force in possible contingency around Taiwan in November 2025. Not only government of Japan but major business entities dependent on supply of rare earths are closely watching the research about quality and volume of the mud from the far southeastern island.

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